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NUT defends controversial teaching kit featuring life of Palestinian children NUT defends controversial teaching kit featuring life of Palestinian children
(about 1 hour later)
The National Union of Teachers has robustly defended a teaching kit exploring the life of Palestinian schoolchildren, despite pulling the resource when a photograph surfaced of the child featured in the pack holding a gun.The National Union of Teachers has robustly defended a teaching kit exploring the life of Palestinian schoolchildren, despite pulling the resource when a photograph surfaced of the child featured in the pack holding a gun.
Critics have said the resource – called Beyond the Wall and released in April with the Christian charity Edukid – was one-sided as it did not contain any profiles of Jewish-Israeli children.Critics have said the resource – called Beyond the Wall and released in April with the Christian charity Edukid – was one-sided as it did not contain any profiles of Jewish-Israeli children.
But the NUT said it stood by its decision to develop the material on the conflict to “illustrate the daily struggles experienced by Palestinian children as they try to gain an education”.But the NUT said it stood by its decision to develop the material on the conflict to “illustrate the daily struggles experienced by Palestinian children as they try to gain an education”.
The union said the My Name is Saleh section was pulled after it was forwarded a Facebook photograph of a 10-year-old boy featured in the teaching pack holding what appeared to be a gun, not because of objections to its content.The union said the My Name is Saleh section was pulled after it was forwarded a Facebook photograph of a 10-year-old boy featured in the teaching pack holding what appeared to be a gun, not because of objections to its content.
The NUT told the Guardian it now believed the gun was a toy given to the child as an Eid gift. The union added that it would not be releasing the teaching pack while the matter was investigated.The NUT told the Guardian it now believed the gun was a toy given to the child as an Eid gift. The union added that it would not be releasing the teaching pack while the matter was investigated.
The section of the pack tells the story of Saleh, 10, from the West Bank city of Hebron, and includes photos of an injury he obtained from an attack by Israeli settlers as he played in the snow with friends.The section of the pack tells the story of Saleh, 10, from the West Bank city of Hebron, and includes photos of an injury he obtained from an attack by Israeli settlers as he played in the snow with friends.
The story goes on to describe Saleh being detained by Israeli police for throwing a snowball, and later released. Other details include how Saleh’s home is overlooked by an Israel military watchtower and how settlers throw objects at the family home.The story goes on to describe Saleh being detained by Israeli police for throwing a snowball, and later released. Other details include how Saleh’s home is overlooked by an Israel military watchtower and how settlers throw objects at the family home.
The material in the pack is of varying degrees of complexity, but some is suitable for children as young as seven. These children are asked to look at the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and discuss its meaning, and learn about the snowball fight where Saleh was injured by Israeli settlers. An accompanying film, made by the NUT and Edukid, is deemed suitable for children over the age of nine.The material in the pack is of varying degrees of complexity, but some is suitable for children as young as seven. These children are asked to look at the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and discuss its meaning, and learn about the snowball fight where Saleh was injured by Israeli settlers. An accompanying film, made by the NUT and Edukid, is deemed suitable for children over the age of nine.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the original content was “tendentious”. The chief executive, Gillian Merron, said: “Pupils learning about what is a very complicated conflict should be given a balanced view rather than this one-sided account, and we appreciate the support of government on the issue.”The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the original content was “tendentious”. The chief executive, Gillian Merron, said: “Pupils learning about what is a very complicated conflict should be given a balanced view rather than this one-sided account, and we appreciate the support of government on the issue.”
Jewish communal figures are also understood to be concerned about the timeline in the booklet, which they feel does not give due weight to events which inform the Israeli perspective.Jewish communal figures are also understood to be concerned about the timeline in the booklet, which they feel does not give due weight to events which inform the Israeli perspective.
The former communities secretary Eric Pickles told the Jewish News this week the NUT had “well and truly crossed the line as to what is acceptable with this appalling document”.The former communities secretary Eric Pickles told the Jewish News this week the NUT had “well and truly crossed the line as to what is acceptable with this appalling document”.
Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the NUT, told the Guardian the union had every intention of relaunching the project, though he said it would meet Jewish communal representatives to discuss their issues with its content.Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the NUT, told the Guardian the union had every intention of relaunching the project, though he said it would meet Jewish communal representatives to discuss their issues with its content.
“The conflict informs so many issues and discussions worldwide. It is important for teachers to tackle,” he said. “It’s something we went into with our eyes open and to try to make sure the material was as factual as possible.“The conflict informs so many issues and discussions worldwide. It is important for teachers to tackle,” he said. “It’s something we went into with our eyes open and to try to make sure the material was as factual as possible.
“The picture that emerged is unfortunate, and of course we immediately withdrew the material, but we do now believe it was a toy, and many children in England will receive a toy gun as a Christmas present.“The picture that emerged is unfortunate, and of course we immediately withdrew the material, but we do now believe it was a toy, and many children in England will receive a toy gun as a Christmas present.
“We don’t intend to junk this project at all, but we are willing to listen to concerns about balance. That balance is not necessarily uncontroversial either but we are keen to engage with it. We are not backing away from this issue.”“We don’t intend to junk this project at all, but we are willing to listen to concerns about balance. That balance is not necessarily uncontroversial either but we are keen to engage with it. We are not backing away from this issue.”
The Edukid chief executive, Chris Turner, whose charity has also developed material on Uganda and Cambodia, said he believed the facts in the teaching pack were as neutral as possible, and said he had obtained all the statistics from the UN. “In other parts of the material, we interview some Arab-Israelis in a school in Israel who talk about their Jewish friend,” he said.The Edukid chief executive, Chris Turner, whose charity has also developed material on Uganda and Cambodia, said he believed the facts in the teaching pack were as neutral as possible, and said he had obtained all the statistics from the UN. “In other parts of the material, we interview some Arab-Israelis in a school in Israel who talk about their Jewish friend,” he said.
“But we have no intention of condoning any kind of violence and when we saw the photo of Saleh the project was pulled. I don’t think there’s anything more we could have done. Obviously we didn’t know about this photo when we released [My Name Is Saleh] but we believe strongly that the material is very well researched.” “But we have no intention of condoning any kind of violence and when we saw the photo of Saleh the project was pulled. I don’t think there’s anything more we could have done. Obviously we didn’t know about this photo when we released [My Name is Saleh], but we believe strongly that the material is very well researched.”
The Department for Education is understood not to have intervened directly, but issued a statement to the Jewish Chronicle which said: “The law is crystal clear: all political discussions in school should be unbiased and balanced. Teachers should only use teaching materials which are suitable for their children and we trust them to decide which resources to use in their lessons.” The Department for Education is understood not to have intervened directly, but issued a statement to the Jewish Chronicle, which said: “The law is crystal clear: all political discussions in school should be unbiased and balanced. Teachers should only use teaching materials which are suitable for their children and we trust them to decide which resources to use in their lessons.”